Canada adds 340 MW of wind energy in 2017

Canada brought to life more than 340 MW of wind power capacity in 2017, increasing the country’s total to 12,239 MW, according to the Canadian wind energy association (CanWEA).

Overall, 10 wind farms in the states of Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia were put on stream at a total cost of CAD 800 million (USD 650m/EUR 524m). The plants’ combined output is expected to supply over 90,000 local households.

While the 12,239 MW cumulative installed capacity at end-2017 covered 6% of Canada’s electricity consumption, CanWEA expects the total to rise by over 600 MW in 2018. Newly-added capacity is expected to grow further in the future, as it has increased by an average of 15% on a yearly basis, the association added.

CanWEA’s forecast is based on results from Alberta’s wind auction in December 2017 when it awarded 600 MW of wind projects. The weighted average price of the successful bids was CAD 37 per MWh, the lowest price seen in the country so far, which made wind “the lowest-cost option for new electricity generation in the country,” CanWEA said.

The projects selected in the Alberta auction will lead to the construction of four utility-scale wind parks by end-2019, helping the province achieve its goal to install 5,000 MW of renewables and reach a 30% renewables share by 2030.